Thursday, April 11, 2013

Book Review: The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back by Sariah Wilson (Whitney Finalist)

Title: The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back
Author: Sariah Wilson
Enjoyment Rating: ***
Whitney Finalist
This book would be rated: PG

Based on the title and cover of this book (for some reason the cover has disappeared from the post and I can't get it back-- I may try again if I get a chance), I was expecting something different-- maybe a little campy, a little more fairy tale. Instead, Sariah Wilson's The Ugly Stepsister Strikes Back feels like a thoroughly modern tale of Mattie and her now-ex-stepsister, the lovely and perfect Ella. But the book feels so modern, and so much more about high school culture and about how Mattie feels guilty about snagging Ella's boyfriend, Jake, than it is about anything fairy-tale related, that the title and cover seem more like an afterthought.

That said, the book was an enjoyable read. Wilson uses just the right amount of detail, and I appreciated that there was more going on than just the relationship with Jake-- Mattie's growing self-awareness and the depth of her relationship with Ella were actually more interesting than the budding romance.